Bill Stuart

Another week and another author spotlight! Today we shine the light on author Genta Sebastian and her contemporary thriller The Boxer Shorts Rebellion.

The Boxer Shorts Rebellion tells the story of one teen’s terrifying experiences in high school and on the internet. Nick Clements and his best friend, Penny are besieged by bullies when a rumor gets started that he is gay. Things deteriorate when one of the bullies turns out to be a psychotic killer. CAUTION: People bullied in their teens report being triggered by this story. The novel contains language that is frank, and portrays brutal, even horrific behavior at times. This book is intended for mature readers and is not recommended for children or the very sensitive.

Book Links:

• ebook:
• paperback:

Author Bio:

Genta Sebastian now lives in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, but was born in Kansas and grew up in California. Once a professional storyteller, and now a retired educator, she has authored a wealth of novels and short stories in anthologies, one of which won a Lambda Award in 2007. Her newest novel is The Boxer Shorts Rebellion, a suspense filled thriller.

Connect with Genta:

• Good Reads – http://www.goodreads.com/GentaSebastian
• Facebook Personal Page – http://www.facebook.com/genta.sebastian
• Twitter: GentaSebastian

Visit Genta’s links and read her book, Since you’re there, leave her a review! I know she will appreciate it!

For I Am Zeus!

This was a different kind of read for me, but I must say I enjoyed reading and reviewing For I am Zeus: A Collection of Plays About Greek Mythology! Read on to discover my thoughts on Crystal Smith-Connelly’s play.

For I Am Zeus: A Collection of Plays About Greek Mythology

For I Am Zeus: A Collection of Plays About Greek Mythology by playwright Crystal Smith-Connelly. I am not normally a reader of plays, but I gave this book a shot. The snappy dialogue, irreverent humor, and refreshing take on Zeus and other figures of Greek mythology pleasantly surprised me. I laughed at Zeus and his antics and at the responses from his targets for seduction. The plays were entertaining and kept me interested as I read though them.

While I would prefer to see the plays on a stage, reading them was still quite satisfying. I will say that if read straight through, they could be somewhat redundant – mostly because Zeus has only one thing on his mind!

You can find out more about Crystal Smith-Connelly on her website about paranormal things and on here Amazon Author page! You can also find out more about her other plays (she has written more than 50) on her Amazon page, too!

If you have seen one of Crystal Smith-Connelly’s plays or read this collection of plays, please consider leaving a review. It helps authors become better writers when they know what their readers think. I know she would love to hear from you and find out your thoughts about her work!

My rating: 4 stars!

Connect with me:

Are you on social media? I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, so find me and say hi! I enjoy meeting new friends and making connections. Let’s start a conversation and talk about books, reviews, or just about anything else!

I have turned on the author spotlight for this week and today’s featured author is Sonia Taylor Brock! Sonia is an Atlanta-area author, so it is my pleasure to highlight another Georgia writer!!

Sonia’s urban fantasy book I am highlighting today is The Inheritance of a Swamp Witch.

The first in the Swamp Witch series, this story takes place in the Swamps of Southern Louisiana. Told in the Cajun dialect, it is about the adventures of a young man into the surprising world of the supernatural. He is shocked to learn that the world he has been accustomed to is not what it seems. In fact, nothing is what it seems. He discovers Witches, Dragons, Trolls, Fairies and Angels are only the tip of the iceberg.

Author Bio:

Sonia Taylor Brock, Author currently self published, has written two books, THE INHERITANCE OF A SWAMP WITCH and A WITCH’S WELCOME. Both of THE SWAMP WITCH series, the books are the result of a wonderful conglomeration of Cajun Creole culture and bringing legends of old into a modern focus in this urban fantasy. New twists on the creation of Vampires, Were creatures, Angels, Trolls, Titans and magic and how they mesh with today’s world where humans understand The One God and the power of prayer. These books use humor and adventure to tell the story.

She has also written a series of short stories that revolve around the main character of THE SWAMP WITCH series and how she affects changes in the destiny of the people she meets. Sonia has worked with several publications throughout her career such as The Cullman Times, Creative Loafing Magazine, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Facility Safety Management Magazine, Galz Magazine and published articles in Trade Publications as a Marketing Professional throughout career.  Sonia is a colorful person and characterizes her life development as constantly evolving and never ending. She refuses to be old and professes to have a young mind even it does seem to forget more things now. She loves to Live, Love, Laugh, Dream and dance in the rain. Sonia currently lives in the Atlanta, Georgia area with her Husband James and her daughters and grandson.

Connect with Sonia Taylor Brock:

• Facebook Author Page:
• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SoniaTBrock
• Author website:

Book Links:

• Good Reads:
• Amazon link:
• Barnes and Noble:

Sonia Taylor Brock has written and published the second book of the Swamp Witch series. Entitled A Witch’s Welcome, I have included the cover photo below.

Book Links:

• Amazon.com:

Visit Sonia’s links, check out her books, buy them, read them, and leave a review! I know she would appreciate it!

Today, I put on my reviewer’s hat and present my thoughts on Bella Harte’s YA paranormal novel Scarlett Phoenix.

Synopsis:

Scarlett Paige is just a regular teenager until her parents suddenly decide move to back to America after living in England for the last 17 ½ years. Thrust into a new school, a new town and a whole new way of life, things can’t seem to get any worse until her 18th birthday arrives.

Her world as she knows it is irrevocably changed by a set of life threatening complications when she discovers her true identity. That she is The Phoenix the only one of her kind, a hybrid human being with supernatural powers beyond mortal imagination. But she is untrained, and unable to use her mystical powers without guidance and training from The Seraphoenix Angels.

Worse still, two mysterious and powerful Angel brothers are looking for her. One to save her and one to kill her, who will win?

Scarlett finds herself amidst a battle that’s been waged since the beginning of time, as she discovers the disturbing truth that Angels aren’t always good! One brother has a terrible plan to rid the world of humanity, while the other strives to save it and Scarlett is caught smack in the middle as both the Angels need her Phoenix powers to accomplish their goals.

Will she become a pawn in their schemes, as she is thrown into total chaos and plunged into an entirely different future and one that is utterly unexpected?

There are fatal consequences she never saw coming. Beings she never knew existed, and homicidal demon creatures that she wished never existed at all, are conspiring to change her life forever!

My Review:

The synopsis lured me into the world of Scarlett Phoenix and her destiny. The story opens on plans for Scarlett’s birthday. Scarlett and her family recently relocated from England to New England. That means a new school for Scarlett – complete with rivals her mother invites to her party. Why am I telling all of this? Because of the party and things that happen there, Scarlett awakens to her destiny. I will not spoil the story by revealing her destiny, but it leads her on an adventure with the Angels. Some of those Angels are her Guardians. However, there is one Angel – the brother of one of her guardian Angels – who desires her for another, much more sinister purpose. What will she do?

Bella Harte has created a new and refreshing take on Angels. She created memorable characters, and magical events. The ending captures the essence of love, loss, and rebirth. Her version of the beginning of Time, the fall in the Garden of Eden, and the consequences of that event that stretches from Eden to Scarlett Phoenix in today’s world makes this a compelling read. I look forward to the rest of this series!

My rating – 4 Stars!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. Opinions about this book are strictly my own!

Connect with Bella:

Find Bella Harte on her Amazon Author Page or her website! Since you’re there anyway, please consider leaving a review, too! I know Bella would appreciate it!

Connect with me:

I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. Find me and let’s connect!

I get an early chance at the author spotlight this week. June McCullough gets the spotlight shining on her twice for her books One The Other Hand and Home To Stay. Read on to find out more!

On the Other Hand:

Have you ever wondered ‘What if’? On the Other Hand is an inspirational story that will touch your heart and have you both laughing and crying. When Mike Andrews dies suddenly from a stroke, Nina is left on her own. Her overwhelming grief soon turns to anger and then depression. Just when she thinks she is learning to endure, she crashes.

Pat McDermott is successful professionally, but her personal life has been a disappointment. Trying to balance life as a single mother with her career, she is totally unprepared when Gordon enters the scene.

Crushed by her grief, Nina carefully plans her suicide, but just as she is about to carry out her plan, there is a knock at her door. The visitor she finds on the other side will change her life in ways she never dared dream.

Formats available:

On the Other Hand: Kindle, Kobo, Softcover and Hardcover

Book links:

Facebook:: https://www.facebook.com/pages/On-the-Other-Hand/190445527688724?ref=hl

Home to Stay:

Although she has never stopped referring to Aces Corral as her home, it has been two years since Diana Crawford has stepped foot on the ranch just outside Calgary, Canada. Her decision to return home was made just as abruptly as her decision to leave, but as Diana’s car pulls into the long driveway, she knows that it is time once again to build the family ranch into a successful business. Little does she know that waiting for her return is a man determined to change everything.

In this contemporary cowboy romance, a woman on the fringes of finding her own inner strength must expose a web of deceit before she loses everything she has ever loved.

Formats available:

Home to Stay: Kindle, Kobo, Softcover and Hardcover

Book Links:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Home-to-Stay-by-June-McCullough/245266722216771?ref=hl

Author Bio:

June McCullough has always been a writer of stories, but this was a well-kept secret until she became the published author of On the Other Hand in 2011. As a baby boomer, June watched several people in her life go through the same experience that the main character in On the Other Hand, Nina Andrews, goes through when her husband, Mike, dies suddenly from a stroke. With baby boomers now making up a large portion of the population worldwide, people everywhere are relating to this story, either through their own experience, or watching someone they love go through it.

This novel was so well received that people kept asking her when her next novel would be published, and so she dusted off her old manuscripts and published Home to Stay, a contemporary romance that takes place just outside Calgary, Canada.

She is currently working on her third novel, Retribution. It’s all about payback.

Connect with June McCullough:

Blog: http://www.junemccullough.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/junemccullough

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/june.mccullough.165

Twitter: http://twitter.com/McCullough_June

LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/june-mccullough/4a/b07/602

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/authorjm/

Author Website: http://www.junemccullough.com

Blog: http://jmccullough.authorsxpress.com/

Amazon links:

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/June-McCullough/e/B005HG4V66

Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/June-McCullough/e/B005HG4V66

Amazon.ca: http://www.amazon.ca/s?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=June%20McCullough&search-alias=books-ca

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=June+McCullough&t=none&f=author&p=1&s=averagerating&g=both

Chapters: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/35/search/?sc=June%20McCullough&sf=Author

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/june-mccullough

With all these links, there are ample opportunities to connect with June and her books! Visit her blog, website, and links, buy her books and, once you read them, leave her some reviews! I know she will appreciate it!!